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Friday, May 30, 2008

This is a post for the music lover's out there. If you have never listened to this band... then this is an education for you. Opeth is a band from Sweden. One of my faves.

I want to learn to play guitar. But, I want to be able to play LIKE THIS. The technical skill and versatility of this band is awesome to me. Some of their songs make me want to weep. Some make me want to run. Some make me want to dance and jump and thrash. Some make me want to move in slow motion and sweat and whisper. All of their music, to me, is an inspiration. I usually listen to Opeth when I am cleaning house.And also when i am writing. Really. So, I thought I would take my last couple of minutes before bed to give you all a surprise posting of some great music. Both videos are long, both are great and I love both. But, they are very different! LOL

This video is 9 minutes long. Worth a listen. One of my favorite songs. Don't forget to turn off the music on the sidebar! Lyrics are below the video. The music in this one is fabulous. I listen to this album all the time.

Windowpane

Blank face in the windowpaneMade clear in seconds of lightDisappears and returns againCounting hours, searching the night

Might be waiting for someoneMight be there for us to seeMight be in need of talkingMight be staring directly at me

Inside plays a lullabySlurred voice over children criesOn the inside

Haunting loneliness in the eyeSkin covering secret scarsHis hand is waving a goodbyeThere's no response or action returnedThere is deep prejudice in meOutshines all reasons insideGiven dreams all ridden with painAnd projected unto the lost

ANd the other side of Opeth.... another long one. And if you are fundamentally opposed to metal music... skip this one. I am always amazed and in awe that this is the same band and the exact same singer! Again, lyrics are below the video.

The Master's Apprentice

There is a voice calling for meThere is a light coming down on meThere is a doubt that is clearingThere is a day that is dawningThere is a wound that is healingThere is a season waiting for meThere is a road that is turningThere is a fire still burning

A sickness in meConstant pace towards the endThe need is strongerThis time the need is deeper

There is a peace I am searchingThere is a freedom I'm depending onThere is a pain that's never endingThere is a rain falling only on meThere is a dream I am livingThere is a life I'm dreaming ofThere is a death I'm awaitingThere is a home I am deserting

I hold my breath in waitOnly moments remainMovement for departed hopeEffect for absent friendsSever the faith from my bodyLeave me begging for moreTake what I have and deliver meInto everlasting sleep

Soothing tranceColours fadeAnd disappearEthereal lightShowing me what I can do without

In a motionless sceneThere is only meI take what I canControlling you to get ahead

Fading awayAnd leavingLong for sleepCloser nowLead the way into death

Every wretched dreamI've left behindEvery waking hourI lie in waitSucked inside by willGone into the floodAll my questions unfurledAs I was put to the testOnce I'm below there's no turning back

repeat

Plunging into the deepest voidDeparted shell left drained behind

Pacing roads unknownSearching for a new homeDesert in my eyeBarren lands inside

So, tell me..... what do YOU think?Did you enjoy either song? Both?Do you see what I mean about the opposing sides of this band? Did you see what an amazing singer that man is? Wow.

Anyway. I am heading to bed to sleep the exhausted sleep of the finally packed and ready to go to FL mom. Catcha on the flip side.

No time to visit anyone today OR to leave a post of any detail. I am frantically trying to get everything done before bed tonight. Had to run around town to get things done this morning. Now, I am packing and doing dishes and laundry and god knows what else. The kids are driving me crazy cvause they have no idea what is going on and just want to play! LOL I am about to take a break and roll around on the floor with them, I think.

I will try to check in part way through the week. Everybody take care of yourselves. No big drama until I get back to read about it! LOL LOL LOL

6 transactionsused a total of $72 in coupons and ECBs.Spent $32.72 out of pocket.Went home with 5 ECBs.

Not great. I had issues with some of my coupons and trying to work the scenarios .... was trying this week. I have too much on my mind! I still did pretty well, I think.

Sorry I don't have time to break it all down for you. I am on my way out of town for a week of sun and fun in FL. We are going to visit family and I will probably not get a chance to post while I am there.

I am planning to hit up CVS and Publix while I am in FL to see what kind of deals I can find! I will post when I get back.

I got a GREAT deal on cat food today! I had 2 coupons for $4/1 on Purina dog or cat food any size, any flavor. I went to Dollar General and they had Purina Cat Chow 3.5 lb bags for $4.25 each. So I got 2 bags and paid $0.50 plus tax! There are $4/1 coupons HERE and I think there might be some elsewhere but i do not remember where. Good luck getting great deals on cat food! If you come across anymore good deals, let me know!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

I don't normally shop at Walgreens.... but this week I may have to change that! There is a new 10/30 printable out there good for May 30th only. The June ESR starts on 5/30 and the May is still going on! Triple good!

Click HERE to get the coupon! This is also detailed on The Centsible Sawyer and I found out about it from an online group that I am part of....

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

We are leaving this weekend for a week long visit at our parents' homes in FL. While the trip there (8 hours) is definitely NOT frugal with gas prices this high, I am hoping to practice frugality in every other way while we are gone. We are planning to stop and eat meals but have snacks and drinks that we will take with us so that we do not have to purchase the expensive ones on the road. We will be stopping at the beach on the way there for some excitement for the kiddos. We will be staying with either one mother or the other the entire time we are gone, so no hotel fees. We will be making one trip to Busch Gardens while we are there, but we will have our Mother's purchase the tickets using both a FL resident price and a AAA discount. Some savings there. I plan to double check the policy of the park regarding bringing food and drink into the park. If I can, i will bring the diaper bag stuffed with snacks, chilled juices for the kids and bottled water for us bigger folk.

Any ideas on saving money in other ways while on the road? We have a budget and I plan to stick to it. But, it would be great to come back with some leftover money to apply to the bills!

In reality, knowing my husband, we will be spending as much as I allow him to spend. He is badly craving food from different restaurants that we do not have here in MS. And he also really really wants to go grocery shopping at some of the specialty stores that we cannot find in this area.

But... if we are buying groceries.... I can count that towards my grocery budget! LOL

And... we are leaving the teenager in FL for the summer! So, that 's a savings on food and miscellaneous for the rest of the summer.

All in all, it is shaping up to be a great week ahead. I will post my CVS deals as soon as I get a chance. Then, I will probably be out of touch for a week or so. I plan to hit CVS and maybe Publix while I am in FL to see if I can get some good deals. I will keep track and let y'all know how I do!

Does anyone have any suggestions of other supplements that I could take to help with the HBP? Or, that would just be a good idea now that I am over 30 and not doing so hot health wise?

Also.... The Boy was throwing a fit because he did not want what I had given him for breakfast and I got very frustrated. I hollered at him and told him he needed to TELL me what he wanted! So.... he sighed really big and looked me int he eyes and said "Grits" as clear as day. Ha!

Yes, he got grits for breakfast! LOL Any new word is cause for celebration here!

I am in the process of doing major housecleaning and laundry in preparation for being gone from my home for a week. I totally do not want to come home to a dirty house! So, I have been scrubbing and picking up and trying to get everything done by Friday night. We are packing up the stealth van and headed to Florida on Saturday. Gonna go visit the family and leave The Girl there for the summer. We are also planning to hit Busch Gardens one day! We think the Boys will love seeing all of the animals. And DH wants to ride many many roller coasters. I don't know if my body is up to riding coasters ths summer. I am probably skipping that thrill.

The fact that DH actually gets a week off of work is amazing! I just can't wait to be in FL and have someone help watch the kids so I can sleep in! And go out..... with no friends or family in this area and no money for babysitters, we have not been out without the kids since last November when our moms watched the kids! I am ready for a break. Love the kids but.....

I will be taking plenty of pics and video while we are in FL. Both at Busch Gardens and just around. It will be interesting to see how the kids do in different surroundings. We have not been to visit since last year. A year can make a lot of difference for kids!

Anyway, I am busy busy busy today. I will, hopefully, be back later with another post but for now.... hehe... wish me luck cleaning! LOL

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Oh, yeah! We got our new video camcorder today! So exciting. Now I have to figure out how to use it! LOL We compared and checked and searched and finally.... found the exact camera we had been looking at online was on sale at Circuit City for the Memorial Day sales! So, we ended up spending about $150 less and got it with a memory card and a camera bag included. Whoopee! This particular model is shock proof (height of 4 foot) and water proof. We need that with the Wingmen of Mayhem running around here. I can't wait to tape them and be able to post video for y'all to see how crazy they are! LOL

Throughout history, faeries have been viewed as magical and separate from humanity. Sometimes viewed as evil and sinister, most recently viewed as caring, loving and helpful. The sensual, magical, mystical, romantic side of faeries is especially prevalent in American culture.

To me, faeries are a direct link to the natural world and to the magical otherside of our world. Whether you believe they are real or just appreciate the legends and pictures, there is no denying that faeries are special.

I don't know how else to say why I love them so much. I have always felt a connection with faeries. And something drawing me to them. I love the concept of wings and flying, magical faerie dust and rings to dance within. I love the idea of hiding in plain sight and being a trickster and being helpful... all of the different sides of the fey.

When I got married.... I wore faerie wings. (Thanks Chelle!) And I collect Faerie sculptures and pictures. I don't have very many because I cannot afford to buy things for myself.... but the few that I do have, I love.

Here is a pic of me and DH getting married. You see my wings?? Pretty. Yes, I was preggers at the time with our youngest... you can see the belly. And it was a costume wedding on Halloween so everyone was in costume.

But... I still have no real way to say WHY I love faeries as much as I do. All I can say is...... I feel connected to them. And I feel drawn to them. And I love them! LOL No real answer... but all of the answer that there is.

Alright. Let's try this again. My local CVS should let me use one of each Playskool coupon per transaction and one 3/15 cvs per transaction. I hope. I have done this in the past. I have a great night manager who usually does great for me!

So, with this scenario I end up with about $9 more product, use the same total amount of coupons, spend 3 more ECBs, and spend about $5 or $6 more oop. And bring home the same 8 ECBs at the end of the day. It works out about the same in the end. And I bring home more butt wipes and covers!

Hopefully, these scenarios will work for me. Check out some other scenarios at The Centsible Sawyer!

** UPDATE** These scenarios are not going to work. The fine print on the coupons all state one coupon per customer. Which means I can only use one per transaction! I must redo my scenarios. I will post a new scenario as soon as I get it figured out...

There is not much I am interested in this week other than diapers and wipes.... but that's ok! I can ALWAYS use a good deal on diapers and wipes. So, my scenarios for this week are:

So, that's it! I have to make sure that all of the food is eaten before we leave as we will be gone a whole week.

Breakfasts will be the same as always except that DH is home on Monday for the holiday and will be making homemade waffles and sausage! Lunches are sandwiches, salads or leftovers. The kids have a freezer full of chicken nuggets that I got a great deal on at Wally World and we always have plenty of pb&j.

This week I am not trying any new recipes and am only doing fairly easy dishes. NEXT week I will not be cooking at all! The following week.... I am looking for some new chicken recipes. And some good casserole and crock pot recipes. The plan is that I will do one crock pot meal each week, one casserole, one new recipe and maybe do one meatless meal each week. I am trying to find some really great frugal meals that my family will love.

Feel free to leave me comments with suggestions or links! I could use some help.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

And now that I have the pictures off of the camera, I will show you why I need a video camera! This progression of pictures is just too cute. I wish I had video of the entire episode!

Here is The Boy "reading" to his doll.

And here he is after tucking a blanket around himself and the doll so that they will stay warm. He was showing each of the pictures in the book to the doll!

Here the boys are after The Baby climbed onto the couch and The Boy tucked him in too!

This one is a little dark but The Boy moved the doll to the other side and was playing "speech" with him! He was pointing at each picture and saying what it was and repeating it several times. Very sweet.

And now to something completely different.....

I have pea pods on my pea plants!!

And radishes! And other stuff that I do not have pics of! Yay!

The last pic for today is of a lonely little lady. My dress form. She has been sitting on my back porch for some time now. Waiting. Waiting for me to get around to adjusting her measurements and using her!

DH and I have been shopping and trying to find the best digital video camera for us for.... a month or so now. We want particular features and, of course, a good deal! So.... I have tried looking in stores and searching online. But it is so hard to figure out the specifics of different cameras and compare them to each other on different sites!

So we went to shopping.com to find what we wanted! We were able to search for the camera we were interested in and compare prices and features right on one site. Very convenient. We still don't have the camera.... but we will have it soon! We know what we want and we are pretty sure that we know which camera it will be.Click below to go to their site and start finding what you want!gardenYou can find anything from electronics to garden products to clothing and jewelry. Actually.... I am about to go search for some new memory for a laptop I was given......

Does anyone have any words of wisdom on buying a Digital Video Camera? Before we shell out the $$$$$??? LOL

I am doing ok. I had to take a few days just to get my head settled and wrapped around the whole high blood pressure thing. I mean, I knew I had HBP, but going to a doctor and getting pills and all.... it just threw me for a loop I guess. I am fine now. I am making my plans for weight loss and also for smoking cessation (sounds fancy!) and am planning to start watching my diet closer. When I go back in a month, I want the doctor to tell me I am doing well and that maybe I can get off of the pills someday soon. I hate taking pills every day. Hate it hate it hate it.

You can check out my CVS stardom over at the new blog. I am planning to get that site set up as a paying blog and try to keep this one mostly personal. I need a place to vent and share and just be me.

I will be getting back to the questions that I still have to answer either later today or tomorrow. I have some great ones still to go! LOL

Thank you to everyone for your comments on the whole HBP issue. I am going to get through this with flying colors. I am only 33. This is easily handled with diet and exercise if I actually do what I need to do!!

So here it is... another CVS Superstars! I did not do as well as I would have liked this week, but.... not too shabby. I used a $25 Gift Card that I had from getting a prescription filled so even my oop was mostly not really oop!

Here it is! Only 2 of the coke 12 packs are in the pic as we had to break into those last night! #1Venus Embrace Razor - 9.99Herbal Essence Conditioner - 5.99Schick Disposable Razors - 6.99Schick Disposable Razors - 3.49 (50% off)Licorice Candy - 2.79Total before coupons = 29.25

There were problems with my 3/15 CVS coupon and it would not take it! Wahhhh!Used:1/1 Herbal Essence coupon4/1 Venus couponBOGO Schick coupon (cashier entered as 3)2/1 Schick coupon11.37 ECB

used 10/50 CVS1/1 Fructis1/2 Purex2/2 Johnsons Buddies2.50/2 CovergirlFree Powder with foundation (7.79)5.99 ECB5 in other coupons that I can't remember(Could have used more ECBs but am saving them)

total oop= 19.14got 5 ECB ( 3 Coke, 2 Fructis)

I walked out having spent 38.97 oop and spent 39.36 in ECBs.I left with 15 ECBs for next week. I got 134.04 in product.

Not quite what I had planned. But with some items not available, I needed to get others to try to make my scenarios work. Some prices were also different. I still think I did pretty good! Next week.... diapers and wipes!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

So.... I wne to the doctor today. We have no insurance on DH and I as we are like... poor. But not poor enough to qualify for free healthcare. So, we do without most of the time. But, my blood pressure has been really high lately and I decided I had better take myslef to the doctor. Yes, I have high blood pressure. Being fat and smoking takes it out of you.....

So, I got a prescription for water pills and I have to go back in a month. And, of course, I need to quit smoking and lose weight.

sigh

I hate not feeling well. And I have not felt well for a long time. Now, I need to start taking care of myself before I end up keeling over. I want to see my babys grow up....

I have no energy to blog anymore right now. I plan on laying down for a bit and then I have to go to Curves. And get my prescription filled. I may be back later to answer more questions.... or it may be tomorrow.... take care of yourselves.

My husband reminded me this morning that he is cooking this week! So, my menu must be rearranged to reflect this as he has specific dishes in mind....

Wednesday - Deep Dish Chicago Style PizzaSunday - Frito Pie!

I also have had a request for my Tucson Chicken Casserole recipe. I actually don't use a recipe.... the original recipe that I modified came from the Everything Meals For A Month Cookbook. I'll do my best to give you my version.

Spread a thin layer of salsa in the bottom of a baking dish. 9x9Crunch up corn chips or tortillas and spread on the bottom of the pan. Good layer but not too thick. Cover the salsa.

Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper, cumin and tarragon. (Or use a pack of fajita seasoning.) Brown the chicken in olive oil with the diced chicken and peppers. Drain and return to pan. Add remaining salsa and 1 can of black olives. Heat through and set aside.

Drain black beans and spread evenly over the chips in your pan. Top with chicken mixture. Cover with cheese and place pan in oven. Cook at 375 until cheese is brown and bubbly.

To serve, place corn chips or tortillas on plate, spoon serving of casserole onto chips. Top with dollop of sour cream and some sliced black olives.

Yummy.

I usually try to serve this with a green salad and sometimes corn bread.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

I was reading The Centsible Shopper and her post about saving gas and was floored. She linked to this article about a driving technique called pulse and glide. Ok. No way. Read the article and see if you think that the 8 - 15% savings on gas usage is worth the hassle and the possible danger of doing this! Reading this really made me think......

Frugal versus cheap?

I am all about saving money. But when it comes to safety I am not going to compromise to save a few bucks. And that goes for other areas as well.

What is frugality? And where is the line drawn between being frugal and being cheap? Is reusing your Ziploc bags frugal? Or just plain weird? Is saving empty peanut butter jars to reuse frugal? Or cheap? Or weird?

What are your thoughts? Where do you draw the line?

*** Just wanted to point out that The Centsible Shopper was in no way advocating this technique. She was just discussing it.

OK, so remember a while back I signed up for Pay Per Post? And I said that I would probably never get a chance to get paid for anything through them? Cause my Google rank was so low? Ha! Ha, I say! I happened to decide to go and check back into it this evening and realized that, like the scatter brained mama I can be at times, I had not completed all of my info to get registered. So, no opportunities were available to me yet! Now, oh now.... there are opportunities! Yeah me! And yeah for pay per post! I actually saw one of their buttons on someone else's blog and followed them home.... and I am really glad I did. I can't wait to really start to explore their site and see what kind of learning opportunities AND money making opportunities I can find!

The really cool thing that I have noticed about PPP so far is that there are resources there on how to be a better blogger and write more entertaining posts. hmmmmm..... I don't know if I can get any more entertaining than some of my sleeping baby posts.... but I am surely going to try! LOL

With all of the money that I end up earning, I think that I will...... save half to help with bills. And use the other half to save up to do things for myself. All women need a spa day every now and then! I could really use a pedicure right about now.....

Anyway, if you are interested in earning money to write blog posts and also learning more about blogging in general... go check out Pay Per Post!

What is one thing you dream of achieving in life? How do you plan to achieve that dream?

I guess I have two dreams to share. The first dream is that I want to be completely debt free and own my own home. I want to be able to not worry about bill collector's calling and not stress out about my landlord deciding that he does not want to renew a lease. I want to be free of the debt slavery! And if that day ever comes, I will dance for joy!

Right now, we are just trying to make it through the next few years. Actually paying down any debt is a bonus. When the kids are all in school and I can go back to work.... then I will focus on paying off all of the bad debt that has accumulated. And then.... then we can start to really think about a home of our own.

My next big dream is to be a published author. And to make an impact on someone's life as a result of something I have written. It's not enough to get paid for writing... I want my writing to mean something to someone! And at this point, I am trying to get back into the swing of using my creativity for writing instead of fun ways to bathe the baby. Ha. I plan to start using writing prompts to start getting myself back into the habit of writing every day. With the intention of eventually writing a novel. One day.

I will be back later with more..... I need to get the boys down for naps now... wish me luck! LOL

I may try to make some homemade rolls on Wednesday and Sunday. I also plan to make banana bread because I have some ripe bananas that I need to use up.

As far as lunches go, I found a great deal on lunchmeats at Walmart so I have an abundance of that. Plus, we always keep pbutter and marshmallow fluff on hand for the kids!

Breakfasts are usually waffles, cereal, grits or oatmeal. Sometimes scrambled eggs for the kids (DH and I hate eggs!) or pancakes.

That's it! I am looking for some new recipes for chicken breast. Casseroles or crockpot. I have had really bad luck with my crockpot lately. I need some new variations so I can give it a shot again....

Sunday, May 18, 2008

I am trying to plan out my scenarios for this week. The worst thing about my one, lonely CVS store here is that if I do not get there early, all of the deals are gone. And there is no other store anywhere within a reasonable distance to try to locate more items at! So, early planning and shopping really helps. My scenarios are mostly for things we need or will use soon. Some great deals.... I have no need for. I hate buying a bunch of stuff we will not use. Sure, I could sell it at a garage sale, and some things I do. But, mostly, it just sits in a drawer. And... this week I am not seeing a whole lot of money makers. Also, I cannot find the Almay coupons. They were not in my inserts this week. My area usually is lacking the coupons I am looking for!! So.... this weeks scenarios:

So. There we are. This is what I hope to be doing sometime in the next few days. I will let everyone know how it comes out on Friday as part of the CVS Superstars! Make sure to check back and see if things work out the way I want them to!

The darling daughter is having a question day! If you head over to Jen's blog you can help her get over her end of the school year blahs by asking her anything you please! She is open for any question but do keep in mind (Annie) that she is only 14. NC17 questions welcomed! LOL

Seeing as how she is my daughter you would think that I would not have any questions for her. Ahhh..... but I do, I do. I just have to figure out which ones I am going to ask! LOL

Wonderful Annie from Fried Pork Chop asked me many fun questions. Annie, you need to get crackin on some new posts! I miss reading you! Today I am tackling two of her questions. The first is:

If you were a cloud, what shape would you be?

Come now, did you really need to ask? A faerie of course!!

Her next question is:

Who is your hero?

Ah, well. Nothing like the easy questions, huh? LOL Actually, I have 4 heroes that I can think of right off the top of my head.

#1 - My mom. Of course. If you have not read this post about why my mom rocks, then you should. If you have ready it, then you understand.

#2 - My daughter, Jen, from the delusional. Jen is 14 and going through a lot of the typical teenage angst. However, what makes her my hero is the way that she has never allowed anyone to dictate how she feels about herself. She has never allowed anyone to make her ashamed of herself for how she looks or what she does. She is strong and self confident. You go, girl....

#3 - My good friend Alisa. For being a strong, independent woman. She has gotten through some of the hardest things a woman can go through and has come out ahead of the game. She never stopped striving for her dreams. She never gave up. And you know what? She got her dreams. She is an inspiration to me.

#4 - My fabulous, pretty lady, Michelle. Chelle has a blog here. She makes me smile every time I think about her. Chelle is always true to herself. She never compromises who she is or what she believes in. She has dealt with a lot of heartache and grief in her life. And she is still a beautiful soul and a sexy lady. She is always there for her friends and family, no matter what else is going on in her life. She rocks.

Me and Chelle. Chelle on the right, me on the left!

And one last question for today.... my mother asks:

Are you ever going to try to gather together all you wonderful poetry and send it off to a publisher?

Honestly? Probably not. Poetry is not a big seller as far as books go. I may send some in to contests, etc. But, if I ever try to get something published it would be a story or book. If I ever get anything written. Thanks for the vote of confidence mom. But...... the poetry gets published here on the blog and thats probably all that will happen with it....

OK. I think that is it for questions today. I have several more and will try to get to them int he next few days. I am saving some of the harder ones for last since I need to think about them some more! LOL

Wow! It looks like this week is a great week for coupons! I have to get up to the store and pick up a paper but, for a preview of what is available check out the Taylortown Coupon Preview. I like to check this to see if it is worth my money to buy the paper! LOL

Question for anyone reading this.... do you receive the paper at your home or do you purchase one at the store when you want one? I am trying to decide what is more frugal for me....

Saturday, May 17, 2008

I have struggled lately to find the best day to do my menu planning. I was part of Menu Planning Monday for a while and then just moved it to Wednesdays because that is when the sales begin for all of the stores in my area. But, that's not working good for us. I believe I will move back to Mondays. My menu planning is a necessity in this house. Without, we spend soooo much more money on groceries. I will start Menu Planning Mondays once again this week and will join in the fun over at Organizing Junkie with all of the other menu planners!

I hate missing out on good deals at CVS. This week has just been horrible, though. I have not made it to CVS yet. I think (hope) that i will make it tonight. Of course, last minute trip equals very few deals left..... hopefully I will be able to pull off some good deals. I will post about my trip once I get back. With pictures hopefully!

I have, just today, started a new blog specifically for all of my frugal posts. You will find it, still under construction, in an outbuilding of the Castle, over here. I will link to it in the sidebar when I get a chance. Those of you who are at all interested in my ideas on saving money, being frugal, CVS, coupons, menu planning, cleaning house and being a better keeper of the finances.... make sure to check in over there! For now, there is not much. It will grow.... believe me! LOL

Now, I can keep this blog for updates on the kids, poetry and the crazy thoughts that run through my head.

Welcome to anyone who ventures into my realm of frugality and chaos! I am starting this separate blog specifically for all of my posts regarding frugality. Coupons, CVS, Menu Planning and more will now reside in this outbuilding of the Faerie Castle. My other blog will now be devoted to my normal posts of children, insanity and the thoughts that run through my brain in the middle of chaos.

Feel free to comment and ask questions at any time! I love comments and I love making new friends in the bloggy world....

I am not planning to move all of my frugal posts from the other blog over here. I may link to them occasionally or I may end up putting a link to specific ones on my side bar. We'll see!

For those who do not know me yet, I am a SAHM to three and live in Southern MS. I relocated here from FL about 2 1/2 years ago. My DH is a chef and we struggle to make it on one income while raising three kids. My children are: The Girl who is 14 and has her own blog here, The Boy who is 2 1/2 and The Baby who is 13 months. My boys are generally referred to as the Wingmen of Mayhem or WOMs.

I decided, when I became a SAHM long term, that I needed a job. A job for me to make me feel that I am contributing to the financial well being of my family. Since working outside of the home was out and the jobs you can get working at home are not something i could see myself doing.... I decided that my "job" is to make my husband's paycheck stretch as far as it can. To keep us from spending money on "junk" that we do not need and to keep from spending more than we need to on the things that we must buy.

Friday, May 16, 2008

I have had an extremely rough and trying day. I am skipping any question answering for today and am going to pour out my story for you and ask for some pointers, advice, ideas or just plain old sympathy!

My middle child is .... difficult. He has a speech delay and some behavioral issues. He also has sleep problems and night terrors. You can read more about any of this here and here. When we had the new baby I really expected major issues of jealousy. But he was wonderful! He rarely acted jealous and he seemed to really love and enjoy his brother.

Fast forward to about a month ago.... three weeks ago. Ever since the baby quit nursing, The Boy has been having fits about his brother being on me. I don't know if he has all of a sudden decided that he is not a "baby" anymore and so he is a rival now... or if it is just because he is walking and climbing and playing more now so seems like a "threat" to the Boy. Who knows what goes through their heads? Certainly not me! There has been a lot of shoving and pulling and fighting over moms lap and basic bickering for the last little bit. I do my best to keep them from fighting too bad and accept that boys will be boys. The Baby is an instigator and will start a fight just to get his brother in trouble. I am not kidding. I had to institute a rule that if either one of them starts crying, they both get punished.

So, today I am standing int he kitchen at the bar, clipping coupons, blah blah blah. The boys are in the living room about 20 feet from me, playing. I hear this weird gurgling noise and look up.

The Boy had a plastic bag wrapped around the Baby's neck and was trying to strangle him. The Baby was hitting him and trying to get away.

I hollered and started to run in there. The Boy dropped the bag and ran. he knew he was in trouble. he knew he had done something wrong.

The Baby was fine. He was coughing and choking but seemed fine. I picked him up and checked him over closely and he calmed down really fast and went back to playing. Then I had to go get The Boy.

I was so upset that I was shaking. I was sooooo ANGRY with him. I could not trust myself to touch him, hardly, because I was scared that I would hurt him. I picked him up and made him look at his brother and told him what he had done wrong. Then I took him back to his bedroom, put him in the bed, told him not to move until i came and got him, shut the door, picked up the baby, cried, called my mom and smoked a cigarette.

When I went in to get the Boy a little bit later he was crying hysterically. I got him calmed down and told him he needed to hug his brother and tell him he was sorry for hurting him before he could come out of his room. It took me ten minutes of talking to him to get him to go hug his brother. Then they seemed OK and we went back to playing. With mommy watching them a lot closer.

Throughout the rest of the day today I witnessed, stopped and punished the following:

The Boy sitting on his brother's back - 3 timesThe Boy standing on his brother - onceThe Boy kicking his brother - 4 timesThe Boy pushing his brother off of the couch - onceThe Boy hitting his brother with a keyboard - onceThe Boy shoving, hitting and otherwise injuring his brother in the process of taking away any toy the Baby might have been trying to play with - at least 10 timesThe Boy pushing his brother off of my lap and taking his place - every damn time I picked up the baby

And it goes on and on.

Obviously, this is a jealousy issue. And also a boy thing. And maybe a little bit of just being 2. And partly a result of his sleep issues/ over tiredness.

But what can I do? I am actually really scared to leave them in a room together now without me being right there. If they had been in their bedroom this morning I would never have known what happened and who KNOWS what would have happened?

Any suggestions on how to defuse the jealousy? When The Boy starts 3 year old pre-k in August, I have a feeling it will get much better. But until then..... I am at my wit's end with these boys. I think I need to go re-dye my hair.... about a million gray hairs popped into being today....

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Fave author? I don't think I've asked before BUT I distinctly remember ALL the 1000s of books you were going to organize. How did that turn out? How about nicknames? Past or present or even what nickname you would give yourself and why...

Alright.... No. I have not organized the library yet. I am giving myself until the end of Summer to get it done. It is a major undertaking int he midst of all of the other things I am trying to accomplish. Although, every time I walk in there, my eye starts to twitch. It bugs me so bad to have the books all over the place that I may end up locking myself in there one day and just not coming out until I am done. Really.

Favorite author? You've got to be kidding me. Ummmm.... well, see.... the thing is that I love SO MANY authors and books that picking just one may be impossible. I really really really love most books. ummm..... OK. I think my favorite author would be one that I read again and again and again. One whose books I replace periodically as I read them to rags. So, amongst the many authors I love, Robert Heinlein would have to be my favorite.

I own and have read most of his many books. I have had to replace my copies of Time Enough For Love, Stranger In A Strange Land, Beyond The Sunset and The Cat Who Could Walk Through Walls at least twice. I have a burning NEED to own every single book or short story that the man ever wrote. Granted, most of his work is dated. That's because most of it was written in the 50s - 70s. But, his IDEAS are not dated. His words are powerful. His philosophy is fresh and fantastic. All of his stories are entertaining and fun. Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the only ones that seems to really "preach" or "teach". I reread that book once every six months. And I read most of the other ones that I own once a year or so.

Here are some of my fave quotes from some of his books:

Sex should be friendly. Otherwise stick to mechanical toys; its more sanitary.

The three-legged stool of understanding is held up by history, languages, and mathematics. Equipped with these three you can learn anything you want to learn. But if you lack any one of them you are just another ignorant peasant with dung on your boots.

Yield to temptation; it may not pass your way again.

Most people can't think, most of the remainder won't think, the small fraction who do think mostly can't do it very well.

If you don't like yourself, you can't like other people.

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.

Of all the strange "crimes" that human beings have legislated out of nothing, "blasphemy" is the most amazing, with "obscenity" and "indecent exposure" fighting it out for second and third place.

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.

A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.

Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other “sins” are invented nonsense.

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

Courage is the complement of fear. A man who is fearless cannot be courageous. (He is also a fool.)

What this world needs more of is loving: sweaty, friendly and unashamed.

A man does not insist on physical beauty in a woman who builds up his morale. After a while he realizes that she is beautiful--he just hadn't noticed it at first.

Men are more sentimental than women. It blurs their thinking.

May you live as long as you wish, and love as long as you live.

I've found out why people laugh. They laugh because it hurts... because it's the only thing that'll make it stop hurting.

Growing closer is a goodness.

Morality is your agreement with yourself to abide by your own rules.

As far as nicknames go.... I was called Grace when I was young, because I had none. I don't really think I have had any other nicknames. At least not that I can think of off the top of my head. My friend Chelle calls me her Hot Mama. Does that count? LOL DH calls me his "XXX Psycopath" (from a song). Oh yeah!! My friend in HS called me Piglet. No idea why. Other than the fact that I called her Pooh.....

Nicknames have never been a big thing for me. I am Tracy. And that is enough for me.

I am not a pretty girlthat is not what I doI ain't no damsel in distessand I don't need to be rescuedso put me down punkmaybe you'd prefer a maiden fairisn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

I am not an angry girlbut it seems like I've got everyone fooledevery time I say something they find hard to hearthey chalk it up to my angerand never to their own fear

and imagine you're a girljust trying to finally come cleanknowing full well they'd prefer youwere dirty and smiling

and I am sorryI am not a maiden fairand I am not a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

and generally my generationwouldn't be caught dead working for the manand generally I agree with themtrouble is you gotta have youself an alternate planand I have earned my disillusionmentI have been working all of my lifeand I am a patriotI have been fighting the good fightand what if there are no damsels in distresswhat if I knew that and I called your bluff?don't you think every kitten figures out how to get downwhether or not you ever show upI am not a pretty girlI don't want to be a pretty girlno I want to be more than a pretty girl

Annie wants to know: If one song could describe you ENTIRELY, what song would it be?

I have struggled with this one. Most of the songs that I really love just don't describe me. And most of the songs that describe me, at least in part, I really don't like. I think if I took several more days maybe I could come up with something a little more fitting. But, I like this song and it fits. I think it describes me fairly well. Not ENTIRELY, though. For it to describe me entirely it would have to be written by me.... and even then.... hey, I don't know everything about myself as it is! LOLLOL

So.... here it is. The lyrics are below the video. Remember to turn off the music on the sidebar.

"32 Flavors"AniDiFranco

Squint your eyes and look closerI'm not between you and your ambitionI am a poster girl with no posterI am thirty-two flavors and then someAnd I'm beyond your peripheral visionSo you might want to turn your headCause someday you're going to get hungryAnd eat most of the words you just said

Both my parents taught me about good willAnd I have done well by their namesJust the kindness I've lavished on strangersIs more than I can explainStill there's many who've turned out their porch lightsJust so I would think they were not homeAnd hid in the dark of their windowsTil I'd passed and left them alone

And god help you if you are an ugly girlCourse too pretty is also your doomCause everyone harbors a secret hatredFor the prettiest girl in the roomAnd god help you if you are a PhoenixAnd you dare to rise up from the ashA thousand eyes will smolder with jealousyWhile you are just flying back

I'm not trying to give my life meaningBy demeaning youAnd I would like to state for the recordI did everything that I could doI'm not saying that I'm a saintI just don't want to live that wayNo, I will never be a saintBut I will always say

Squint your eyes and look closerI'm not between you and your ambitionI am a poster girl with no posterI am thirty-two flavors and then someAnd I'm beyond your peripheral visionSo you might want to turn your headCause someday you might find you're starvingAnd eating all of the words you said

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Well, I did say ask me anything so I guess I really did ask for it! LOL I am going to start with some of the easier questions and go from there. Mama Bear asked "Do you watch t.v. ever? is so what do you watch?" and she has the great good fortune of being the first question I answer!!

I have children. So, the majority of the time, my television is tuned in to Nick Jr. And sometimes, I just leave it on Nick all day. We watch I Carly and Drake & Josh cause the teenager likes them. (I do too actually, they are cute shows) And at night they play shows like George Lopez and Fresh Prince. So, there are days I never change the channel. Then, there are the days that I am so tired of cartoons and kid shows that i just may scream. And then I watch....

Are you ready for this?

I watch reality TV. Yes, I admit to it. I like to watch things like Project Runway, Top Chef and Clean House. I also really giggled like mad at Tila Tequila and Rock of Love. Stupidity at it's finest, there. I like to watch Jon and Kate plus 8 just so that I remember things could always be worse.

Except Project Runway. I must watch Project Runway when the newest season comes on without any interruptions. I cannot miss it. I am totally addicted. I love Tim Gun. He is bad ass.

If I am actually wanting to WATCH something then I have the option of any DVD I feel like watching. We own.... I don't know how many. See these pictures? Yeah. These are all DVDs and some VHS. The spindle and the black cases are all full of burned DVDs. And there are probably at least another 100 either in the office or in the girl's room.

Those are the black cases of burned DVDs there below the cabinet with doors. Inside the cabinet are ou r "adult" movies. I need to get a lock on that before the girl gets any older.... We are in the process of entering all of these movies into a database so that I can have some clue as to what we have. I like to organize them alphabetically. I also would like to be able to do a search of the database for movies starring.... say.... Brad Pitt and get every one that we own listed. Or, search by genre. We also have many different TV shows on DVD. Star Trek, Gilmore Girls, Six Feet Under, Firefly, Millennium, X-Files..... and we watch them periodically!

So, there you go! That is what I watch on TV. Not much and then a whole lot! LOL We are definitely movie people. And we are all about instant gratification. Why go rent a movie when you can just own it??? LOL

On another note, yesterday the boy and I were playing outside. He made a discovery and I thought that I would share it with you! Here he is, just being all boy.

Now, here he is.... what does he see? Oh, my goodness, he is fascinated! And also, quite excited to see.... A "buh-FLY... FLY" or, as you can see, a moth. He spent quite a long time checking this guy out.I love watching him discover how beautiful the world can be.....

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Great questions you all are coming up with! I will start answeringt hem tomorrow. I think I will be devoting a post to each question. Any late comers.... feel free to drop any questions you want into the comments for this post or the previous one! Off to think of answers......

I am feeling slightly overwhelmed by my daily duties this week. Lots of work and not much time..... when will we discover how to stretch days into weeks and weeks into months and months into years? Probably just in time for me to NOT want to have extra time......

Anyway, I am desperately non creative today. Please help me!

Today I am opening the floor to all of you. Leave me a comment or two and ask me anything you want to know! Questions deserve answers and I will answer every one.....

What are you waiting for? You know there is something you have been desperately wanting to know about me...... so hop to it! LOL

Sunday, May 11, 2008

But to all women who have loved a child as a mother. Or an adult. To mother's through blood, adoption, love, tears and wisdom. To all of the women in my life who have taught me and cherished me. To all of the women in the world. We are all mothers in one way or another.

Celebrate women today. Not just women who have given birth. Celebrate the beauty of the possibility and the grace of the love and devotion. Celebrate the joy of being a woman and the pain of being a mother.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Meet the "Stealth" van. Completely boring and dull on the outside, she blends right in with any other mini van on the road.... hiding in plain sight, as it were. And then.... you look inside. And realize why we call her "Magenta". Named after this Magenta, of course:The seats are incredibly comfortable, but I feel like I am driving around town in a pimp-mobile! LOL I need to personalize it a little bit.

DH was supposed to be watching the boys the other day. I was cleaning out the old car and DD was helping me. DH decided he had to run in to use the bathroom and the boys were playing nicely. So, he left them there and ran inside without letting me know. We were right in the same yard but I was not really paying too much attention to what they were doing. THIS is what the youngest was up to:

Those USED to be watermelon plants. Now, sadly, they are dead. I must replant!! DH could not believe how fast the baby got into trouble. I laughed at him.... poor deluded daddy..... Last night, I cooked one of my favorite foods in the whole world. And it made me think of my mother. When I was a kid, she would make this for us and we would come by and sneak them as soon as she had them fried up. And she let us. My goodness, I hate to think how many squash my mother fried up when I was younger! I could eat at least 2 or 3 whole squash done this way all by myself!

I have to say, she was much nicer to us than I am to my kids. They are NOT ALLOWED to eat any until I am done frying. Unless I give them a piece. Because they catch me sneaking one. LOL Mom... thanks for always letting me sneak squash. And thanks for always being willing to fry them even in the hottest weather and when you were exhausted! You rock. For a lot of reasons. But that's just one. Go reread this post if you want more mom day gushing.... I just can't wait to hug my mom's neck in about three weeks!!!!!

Maybe I will even do to her like my eldest WOM does to me:

(he snuck up and into my shirt.... he likes to do this and kiss me when I least expect it... I pretend I don't notice that he is climbing up the inside of my shirt...)

And here is a pic of my DD learning to cook this evening.... I sure do love that kid. Even when she makes me crazy...... So, that's it.

I may try to pop in for a short post tomorrow. It depends on what I end up doing. DH has to work for most of the day, so I won't get much of a Mom's day rest. He has promised that on his next day off I get to sleep in as long as I want with no interruptions. Yeah. I'll believe it when it happens!!! LOL At least I know I am needed......

Happy Mother's Day to all of you..... and give your Mother big hugs and kisses...... and hold on tight......